If you have visited here before, you can probably see that I have changed the name of the blog again. I started blogging at 4URuthie to tell the story of our journey to adopt our 1st daughter. I changed it to Mountains for Maggie when we were praying for God to move mountains on behalf of our 2nd daughter. Well now it is no longer just Ruthie’s or Maggie’s stories. It is now our family's story, and the stories of those we share life with, as we Conquer Mountains together. Both ConqueringMountains.net and 4URuthie.blogspot will lead here.

About Me

I am a pastor's wife, mother of 4 kids (2 adopted and 3 with special needs), physical therapist, and photography junky. This is where it all comes together for me. Feel free to join along as I process life out loud.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Lessons in "Doing It Again" - What We Do When we See God Move

I swore I would never "do it again" after the paperwork and waiting nightmare of adopting Ruthie. But then something happened. I spent a week volunteering in an orphanage in China and my heart changed. The paperwork and wait became more of means to an end instead of the emotional scar I had been carrying and this time I had Ruthie to look at to remind me how it was all more than worth it.

So I will go into more detail later on how I saw God move but today I want to process what we do when we see God move.

My View of 3 Types of People and Ways We Follow God (or not)

1. The Jumpers - These are the people who look at any opportunity that they think looks good, go there, and then assign God's name and will to it. They date the guy who was available (but not best for them) and then make excuses by calling it God's will. They take the job that was the most alluring and then call it God's will. They generally bounce from one relationship and experience to the next, feeling confused and disappointed and all the while wondering why God is doing this to them - when truthfully they never sought Him in the first place.

Okay I know that sounds harsh but I bet you already thought of 3 people like this. If this is you, the good news is that it is pretty easy to fix. Stop viewing the world through your eyes and start seeking God before you make that big decision. You have to be willing to walk away from what the world says is ideal in order to take steps of faith toward what God is truly calling you to. Ask yourself: is this decision consistent with what His word teaches?

I will give you a hint - He doesn't want you partnering with someone who is unequally yolked (2 Cor. 6.14) AND He is more concerned with your holiness than your comfort (James 1.2-4). Oh, and one more thing, He wants you to be a good steward too (1 Cor. 4.2). Those 3 truths will keep you out of a lot of mistakes.

2. The Doers - Okay folks, this is confession time and I really think it is probably where most of us land. We see God moving. We accept His invitation to join him. And then? We take over. I so did this with God's call to Ruthie. I heard His call as a teenager and then when it was time to step out, I made it MY mission to bring that child home. That left me in a state of worry and frustration.

So what happens the 2nd time around? Well, I went on this trip and saw God moving all around me and clearly felt His call to return to China. My husband gave me the thumbs up and I decided it was time to take over again. Within days, I felt helpless, fearful, and frustrated. I wasn't meant to be the CEO of God's plan! Why is it that when we see God move, we feel the need to take over?? Isn't He sovereign? Doesn't He do what He pleases (Ps. 115.3)? Wasn't He moving there before we even knew about the situation?

I think we need to remind ourselves of who is God and what His attributes are. He is faithful. He desires good things for His people. He is sovereign. He is all knowing. He is all powerful.

Now don't get me wrong. I think we need to be obedient and do our part. We're rarely allowed (much less called) to be passive. However, if you are living in state of worry, you might be trying to take over. Let's choose to follow God more like this next group...

3. The Trusters - These are people who see following God as an opportunity to watch Him work. Think of it this way. Picture Mission Control at NASA. God is the Flight Director (a.k.a. boss) of Mission Control and He has invited you to watch Him land the Space Shuttle. How ridiculous would it be for you to go in and sit down at a computer and try to take over? But isn't that exactly what we do?

This 3rd group gets it. They walk into Mission Control (God's will) and stand in the corner wide-eyed in awe of their God and his ability to do amazing things. Then if God asks them to do some small task, they respond with immediate obedience and enthusiasm for that task but don't interpret that as an invitation to take over. I hope that makes sense. Group #2 crashes a bunch of Shuttles. Group #3 learns more about the character and power of God through watching Him work and responding in obedience to specific tasks.

So like I said, I am on this road again. I have spent 99% of my life in Group #2 as the Queen of the Doers but I am determined to do it differently this time. I have seen God already moving mountains and I look forward to sharing that with you soon as a testimony of His faithfulness.

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About Me

I am a pastor's wife, mother of 4 kids (2 adopted and 3 with special needs), physical therapist, and photography junky. This is where it all comes together for me. Feel free to join along as I process life out loud.